Mail-clip.



J. KLEIN.

MAIL CLIP.

APPLICATION FILED snrns. 1907.

Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

{/3 [NVENTQR Joseph Henry ATTORNEY Fig.1.

EIIIIIIIIIIILL JOSEPH KLEIN, orrnnu, ILLINOIS.

MAIL-CLIP.-

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

Application filed. September 9], 1907. Serial No. 392,052.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosnPH KLEIN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Peru, county of Lasalle, and State of Illinois, have invented certainnew and use ful Improvements in Mail-Clips, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for securing bundles of letters or other mailable matter, and has for its object the production of a device formed from sheet metal, and which is simple, light, inexpensive and will hold the mail securely during the handling and transmission of same, and which can be used over and over again.

As the mail is now tied in bundles in the various post-offices, the string is lost as soon as it is cut from the bundle and thus it will always necessitate the same expenditure of money, for this purpose, each year, whereas my device, when once bought, can be used continuously.

In the drawings; Figure 1 is a side View of my invention, showing a part thereof in section. Fig. 2 is a top View of my invention. Fig. 3 is a front View of my invention. Fig. l is a rear view of my invention. Fig. 5 is an enlarged side view of my clip showing the method of applying same to a bundle of letters. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 1.

Similar numerals represent similar parts throughout the drawings:

In the drawings 1 represents the upper member of my device and 2 represents the lower member. cular portion, having a circular rib 3, and a necked part, having a rib 4 which termiates into the bent portion-5. 5 is further formed into a rectangular section ending with the edges 6 brought in under the necked portion, and having a projection 7 which passes through an aperture in said necked portion and is bent downward, securely fas tening said necked portion to the rectangular part 6 of said member 1. The object of the above construction is to enable me to use thin sheet metal, making it very light and also very strong. The rear of the bent portion 5 of member 1 has a number of apertures 8 as shown, whosefunction will be explained below. One of the edges 6' has a projection 9 which engages a similar projection 15 on edge 14 of member 2, which prevents the members 1 and 2 from becoming detached and lost. Member 2 is simi- Member 1 comprises a cir larly formed as is member 1, comprising a clrcular portion, having a circular rib 17 a necked part, having a rib 18, which necked portion terminates into a bent portion 13. 13 is further formed into a rectangular section which envelope or surrounds the bent portion 5 of member 1, there being suflicient clearance between these parts to allow part 5 of member 1 to slide into part 13 of member 2. Bent portion 13 also has a projection 16 from its inner edge 14 which passes through an aperture in the necked portion of member 2, and is bent over securely fastening the edge 14 to the necked portion of member 2.

1.3 has an aperture into which projects a pin 11 which is fastened to a flat spring 10 whose lower end is fastened to 13 by means of a rivet 12. Pin 11 projects through portion 13 into one of the apertures 8 on portion 5, being shaped as shown, on its projecting end so that it locks the members 1 and 2 against motion away from each other and permits motion toward each other when pressure is applied on members 1 and 2 to force them together, the pin 11 simply being forced out and droppinginto the next aperture. To move the members 1 and 2 away from each other, it is necessary to pull pin 11, by means of the curved tip of the spring 10, out of the aperture 8 in member 1.

I11 practice my clip is used as follows ;-a bundle of mailable matter, such as letters is taken in one hand and the clip in the other, (the clip being extended) and held between the thumb and the index finger; the ends 1 and 2 are passed over the bundle, as shown in Fig. 5, then these members are forced together until the pin 11 enters the proper aperture 8 and the mail matter is firmly held between 1 and 2, by means of the pressure and the elasticity of members 1 and 2, as well as the material between them. To release the bundle it is only necessary to pull pin 11 as above explained.

It will'be seen that my device can be used indefinitely, is much more convenient than is the use of string; is light, simple and inexpensive.

It will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to limit myself to the exact form of device herein shown, but I have here shown one form of my device whichcan be taken in a sense, diagrammatic of any or all devices which would come within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

In 2L mail clip, a device complete in itself, consisting of two similarly formed members, inseparably connected, each comprising a rectangular portion having a circular ribbed part formed therefrom, which projects at right angles to said rectangular portion, one of said rectangular'portions enveloping the other, and means by which the distance between the inner faces of said circular ribbed parts may be ad usted.

JOSEPH KLEIN.

Vitnesses P. T. h It'ILLnR, BART KLEIN. 

